The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-25
Frantic EndeavOrs Of Fright
ened Citizens to get Away.
Two Persons Die of the Disease
No New Cases.
Adventures Of Party Of Orummers In Schooner
Health 0ncsrs waiting for Them
No Reason for q Panic.
.Spseidl t0 the Pdidtkd NeCs.

y
Key West. A gentleman, named George
Dunlap, a native of Illinois, arrived
from Key West this morning and told
your correspondent the following story
which is corroborated by other gentle
men who also arrived from Key West.
MIR. Duncan said that ON last Saturday
morning it got rumored around on the
streets of the city that a man named
Baker. who kept the Zairs Restaurant,
had a case of yellow fever, and shortly
afterwards a deputation of physicians
visited the mans house and, after con-
sultation, came to the conclusion that it
was genuine case of yellow fever, and
Immediately the yellow flag was hoisted
in front of the house.
The neighborhood at once became
alarmed, and the report spread like
wild fire, and people could be seen all
over the city gathered in groups discus
sing the situation.
Rumors that Baker had black vomit,
and that his wife and sister were down
with it, only intensified the alarm, and
soon every stranger in the city was pack
ing up his clothes and getting ready to
leave on the steamship Olivette, which
lay at the wharf ready to sail 60 Tampa
that night.
But now a difficulty arose. The au-
thorities at Tampa, having heard of Ba-
ker's case, teIegraphed that they would
not permit anybody to land in Tampa
without a health certificate, and imme-
diately there was a rush to the health
officer and a big demand for those testi-
monials.
Some succeeded in getting them,
while others did not but everybody that
wanted to get away went down to the
steamer and demanded passage. Cap
tain James Mckay refused take any,
except those whose certificates were
properly signed, and the indignation and
uproar against the captain was very
great, but he was unmovable.
THE sTowAwAYs.
Mr.. Dunlap and two other friends
managed, however, to smuggle them
selves on board and when twenty miles
out they came on deck and the captain
as 81 httSu tiistt tuc NcSSci HOt
been twenty miles at sea and a very low
tide he would have returned and put
them ashore again.
Amongst the clamoring crowd on the.
wharf Were fifteen drummers who were
refused passage on the Olivette. They
swore at the captain and vowed all kinds
of vengeance on his head, but it was of
no avail. Finally they managed to char
ter a small schooner named the Ino, and
got her to take them to Manatee, and
from there they intend going to Char
lotte Harbor and take the Florida South
ern Railway from that point and get
back to civilization.
WHAT MR.. GIBBES SAYS.
Col. James, q. Gibbes, of the United
States Treasury Department, returned to
this city this morning from Key West,
where he had been on official business
He reports three cases as having devel-
oped-Mr. Baker, wife and sister. These
persons reside on the main land, but are
sick in Key West, and are in thickly
populated portion of the city. DIR. Por-
ter, president of the Monroe County
Board of Health, is absent from the city,
but will pass through Jacksonville to-
day en- route home. In his absence DIR.
G. Sweeting is acting president, and Col |
Gibbes says he pronounced Mr.. Bakers |
sickness yellow fever. DIR. j. V. Harris |
doubted its being yellow fever, and said
that the patient had been suffering from
fever and ague for some time and taking
medicine containing mercury, and his
was not black vomit produced by the
disease, reported.
No one was permitted to board the |
steamer Olivette to come to Tampa ex-
cept they could exhibit certificate of |
health from DIR. Sweeting. Many at
tempted to go aboard but the officers of
the vessel would allow none to do so ex-
cept those who had these testimonials of |
perfect health
DIR. NEAL MrTCHELLS STATEMENT.
DIR. Neal Mitchell, President of our |
Board of Health, was seen by your cor
respondent and informed of the reports |
in the city, and asked for any informa-
tion that he might have. The Doctor |
said that there was but one case of spo- |
radio yellow fever in Key West, as he |
was informed by undoubted authority, |
both from Tampa and Key West, and |
every possible precaution had been taken |
to confine that and keep the dis
ease from spreading. He was no
titled of this case Saturday, and |
he thinks there is no cause for alarm, as
everything to arrest the disease will be
done, and an epidemic prevented. He
favOrs active and decided measures to
keep it from other cities of the State. |
There are vigilant and active boards of
health at Tampa, Orlando and Sanford,
through which all persons coming from
Key West will be subjected to exam'-
nation if necessary before reaching Jack
sonville.
MEETING OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
The Jacksonville Board of Health met |
at noon to-day to discuss the situation,
with President Neal Mitchell in the |
chair. After short talk, DIR. Mitchell
produced the following telegram, which |
he said he had received on Saturday:
KEY WEST, May 81.
Dr. Neal Mitchell, Jacksonville.
One sporadic case of yellow fever. ]